SEOUL – They have an army of fans around the world, but fame and fortune are not enough to keep K-pop superstars BTS from fulfilling a rite of passage nearly every South Korean man must undergo: compulsory military service.
Despite some calls for exemptions for South Korea’s biggest pop-culture export, the country’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism told lawmakers this week that the boy band would fulfill their military duties.
“All of the BTS members say they will definitely enlist for military service,” said Minister Do Jong-hwan, in remarks reported by The Korea Herald.
At least 21 months of military service is mandatory for all able-bodied males aged 18-35 in what is seen as a necessary response to the constant threat posed by neighboring North Korea. While 2018 has seen a thawing of relations, the two countries are still technically at war, as the 1950-1953 Korean War ended with an armistice but not a peace treaty.
The topic of conscription has become a hot-button issue in South Korea in recent years, with debates raging across society about whether it is still necessary, as well as who should be allowed exemptions.
The issue sparked up in September when the South Korean men’s soccer team won a gold medal at the Asian Games tournament, allowing all the members of the squad – including star Son Heung-min, who plays for Tottenham Hotspur in England – to be excused from service.
Athletes who bring home medals in international competitions as well as acclaimed artists, classical musicians and dancers can avoid service, but not pop stars, filmmakers or actors.
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